1. Field of the Invention
This invention pertains generally to an implantable sensor system, and more particularly to an implantable sensor with integrated antenna.
2. Description of Related Art
Recent advances in the field of brain-machine interfaces (BMI) have caught wide attention in engineering and medicine. Wireless brain-machine interface (BMI) systems fit for long-term neural recordings during patients' normal activities may aid in the diagnosing of diseases, such as epilepsy, sleep and mental disorders (pertinent examples, non-exclusively: obsessive-compulsive disorder, deep depression, Parkinson's Disease). Moreover, this technology holds therapeutic promise to restore mobility and communication for patients suffering from spinal cord injuries and neurodegenerative diseases (e.g. ALS, other forms of locked-in syndrome) by enabling direct brain-control of prosthetics (motor, communication, etc.).
However, current solutions for implantable antennas generally require rigid substrates such as printed circuit boards and hermetic sealing, leading to un-economically large footprint and height for the electronics. Furthermore, wired readout of neural activity poses a high infection risk and is hence only fit for short-term clinical use.
Battery-powered systems require perilous and expensive surgeries for replacing the discharged batteries. Thus, achieving fully wireless and battery-free operation is presently a major focus in the field of implantable neural hardware.
State of the art work on implantable antennas for BMIs has been focused on antenna miniaturization in order to minimize tissue scarring and immune response to the implant. However, this extreme miniaturization has been at the expense of link power efficiency, which drops sharply as the implant size is reduced below a few millimeters.